Clock striking mechanism.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1910.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

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E. TOWNS.

CLOCK STRIKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1910.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

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'B. TOWNS.

CLOCK STRIKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1910.

Pzitented Aug. 22, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELSON TOWNS, OF ELM RIVER TOWNSHIP, WAYNE COUNTY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO CHARLES O. TRUSCOTT, OF CISNE, ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

Application filed April 28, 1910. Serial No. 558,303.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELsoN Towns, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing in Elm River township, in the county of WVayne and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clock Striking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clocks, and more particularly to striking mechanism therefor, and has for its object to provide a striking mechanism for clocks which will be arranged to strike in one key on the hours, and which will also be arranged to strike upon the half hour a number of strokes equal to the hour past but in a higher key than the stroke for the hour itself.

Another object is to provide a structure in which either the hour striking mechanism or the half hour striking mechanism may be brought out of operative relation to the clock proper, and also in which both of the striking mechanisms may be thrown out to produce a silent clock when desired.

Other objects are to produce a finger or an arm, and a structure, which will be relatively simple, and which will be a betterment, and which will utilize a number of elements which are found in striking mechanisms of the usual type.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is an elevational view of the interior mechanism of a clock equipped with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a view showing diagrammatically the arrangement of the striking elements, and means for throwing out the hour striking mechanism, Fig. 3 is a view showing the arrangement of the parts by means of which the half hour striking device is thrown out of opera tive position, Fig. 4 is a view taken at right angles to Fig. 1 looking at one side of the mechanism, Fig. 5 is a view looking oppositely to Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown the supporting back-board 5 of a clock to which, adjacent the upper end thereof, is secured a horizontal shelf 6. Mounted upon this shelf, is a clock movement including the usual movement train and the striking portion. Below the shelf and secured to the back-board 5 is arranged an ordinary coil spring gong 7 adapted to be struck by a hammer 9.

Below the gong 7 and secured to the backboard 5 is a secondary striking mechanism 8 lncluding a clapper 10 and a gong 11 of a tone different from the gong 7. The secondary striking mechanism comprises a frame 15 having a shaft 16 on which is mounted respectively the motor spring 17, the gear 18 and the winding ratchet wheel 19. The gear 18 is adapted to mesh with a cage pinion 20. On a shaft 21 disposed a suitable distance above the shaft 16 is a shaft also carrying the striking gear wheel 22. On the shaft 21 is also mounted the notched stop wheel 23 which engages a cage pinion 24 and a shaft 25, which shaft also carries a gear 26 meshing with a cage pinion 28 on a shaft 29. This shaft 29 also carries a gear adapted to mesh with a cage pinion 31 on a shaft 32 which carries the governor fan 33.

Pivotally mounted on a shaft 35 in the upper portion of the frame 15 is an angle lever 34, one arm 36 of which has the flattened hook end 37 adapted to engage in the notches of the stop wheel 23, while the other arm 41 lies in the path to be struck by a pin 27 carried by the gear 26. In the rotation of the wheel 26 the pin 41 engages the arm 42, which is mounted on the shaft 35 in each revolution and raises the hook end 37 out of the notches in the wheel 23. Mounted on a shaft 38 is a second angle lever 39 the arm of which extends downwardly and directly under the arm 36, so that when the arm 47 is raised, the lever will be rocked to raise the arm 36 by-means to be referred to later. The pin 27 acts as a stop against the arm 41 to hold the hook 37 in one of the deep notches of the wheel 23. At each revolution of the wheel 26 the pin 41' which projects from the wheel 26 adjacent the shaft 25 raises the arm 42, thus rocking the shaft 35, arm 41, and hook 37 to draw the arm 41 out of the path of the pin 27.

The pin 41 will engage and lift the arm 42 at each revolution of the wheel 26, as long as the hook 37 drops into a shallow notch, but when the hook drops into a deep notch the shaft 35 will be rocked enough farther to bring the arm 41 into the path of the pin 27 which will engage therewith and prevent any further rotation of the wheel.

A link 48 is connected to one end of the arm 47 and extends vertically and is 0011- nected at its opposite end to one end of an arm 53 of an angle lever mounted on a shaft 52 located in the frame of the upper clock movement. The other arm 54 of this lever has a recurved upper end which lies in the path of a pin 51 on a shaft 50 which carries the usual pinions connected to the spring motor drum gear 80, and which shaft carries also the hour and minute hands of the clock. A shaft is mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the clock mechanism and has the stop wheel engaging pawl Gt) which is one of a series of arms extending from said shaft (35. Another of said arms 67 is adapted to engage with its hooked end in a notch H formed in a disk 6 mounted on the shaft E which forms a part of the striking mechanism. A. third arm (39 is secured to a shaft 70. This arm 69 is recurved at its outer end and lies in the path of the minute hand arbor pin 51. It will thus be seen that upon the rotation of the hour and minute trains, that the pin 51 will first engage the end of the arm ('59 which will raise and engage with the arm 68 to raise the arm 67 from the notch H, at the same time lifting the pawl 66 from one of the deep notches in the striking wheel M, thus freeing the striking mechanism and permitting the same to strike the hour. Then the hour and minute trains have turned to the half hour, the pin 51 will ongage the upper end of the arm 54 which by means of its arm 53 and connecting link 48, pull up the arm 47 in the secondary striking mechanism, and permit said second striking mechanism to sound the same number of strokes as that struck by the upper striking mechanism. Thus on the hour, the upper mechanism, say at 6 oclock, will strike 6, on the gong 7, and at half past (3, the secondary striking mechanism will be released and strike 6 on the gong 11. The gongs 7 and 11 are of different tones so that by simply counting the strokes and recognizing the tone of the gong, it may be readily known whether the hour or the half hour is struck.

It might be sometimes desirable to have the clock strike only the hours, and for throwing out the half hour striking mechanism, I provide the following means: Secured to the front edge of the shelf 6 is a downwardly depending plate 55 011 which is mounted by means of the screw 57, a member 58. This member has a handle portion 59 by means of which the same is rotated on the pin 57. A lateral extending arm 58 is formed integrally with the member 58, and has pivotally secured to its outer end an upwardly extending arm 63 having a reduced end 64, and an engaging shoulder 63. The reduced portion 64 extends up wardly through an opening in one end of the arm 53, and when said member 58 is turned to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, the shoulder 63 will raise the arm carrying upwardly with. it the link 48 which raises the hook 37, which thus effectively rocks the arm 40 into the path of the pin 40 on the wheel 30, holding the half hour striking mechanism in check. At the same time the arm 54 is thrown out of the path of the pin 51, thus preventing the movement of the arm 54 at the half hour points in the movement of the upper clock mechanism.

Adjacent the other end of the shelf 6 is a. plate 84 similar to the plate 55 on which is mounted in a similar manner a member 82 which has an operating handle 83. This member is also provided with an arm 81 pivotally connected to a vertical extending link 80, the opposite end of which is loosely connected to an arm 79 secured to the shaft 70. This shaft also has an arm 74 which extends transversely across the clock mechanism and has its end turned laterally and is adapted to be thrown into the path of a pin 73 on the shaft of the governor fan D. Another arm also secured to the shaft 7 0 extends under the arm 74 and has its outer end bent to embrace the arm 74, to provide a loose connection thereof. From this it will thus be seen that when the handle 83 is thrown to the right as shown in Fig. 2, the link will through its connection with the arm 7 9 rock the shaft 70 which will throw the arm 74 up until its extremity lies in the path of the pin 73 and the arm 69 out of the path of the pin 51. In the movement of the arm 69 it engages the arm 68 thus rocking the shaft 65 and throwing the arms 66 and 67 out of the notches of the disk G and wheel M respectively. \Vhen in this position the clock will be a silent runner, the main striking mechanism being thus thrown out. The engagement of the pin 73 against the end of the arm 74 preventing the rotation of the governor shaft and thus putting a brake on the striking mechanism.

hen the handle 83 is thrown to the left, as seen in Fig. l, the arm 74 is thrown so that its extremity is below the path of the pin 73 thus permitting the mechanism to strike, the arm 69 then being in the path of the pin 51.

As represented in Fig. 1, the handle 59 being thrown to the right and the handle 83 to the left, both striking mechanism will be free to operate, while when the said handles are thrown in the opposite direction, both striking mechanism will be thrown out.

In the drawings the motors of the clock train and the striking train of the upper mechanism are shown as cords and weights, but it will be understood that springs may be used.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that I have provided a simple device of this character in which the hour and half hour may be readily recognized from the tones of the gongs, also a simple and efiicient means for throwing out either or both of the striking mechanisms. It will also be seen that by means of the throwing out mechanisms, the notched striking wheels may be adjusted so that they will be in the positions to strike the same number of strokes in succession.

hat is claimed is:

1. In a striking mechanism for clocks, the clock movement including the primary striking mechanism and a minute hand arbor, a shaft mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the clock mechanism, a pin on the minute hand arbor, an arm on second shaft having its extremity lying normally in the path of said pin, a second arm on said shaft, a lever pivotally mounted below the clock mechanism and a link connected to said lever and the last mentioned arm whereby said first mentioned arm will be thrown out of the path of said pin upon movement of said lever in one direction.

2. In a clock striking mechanism, a clock movement including a minute hand arbor, a pin projecting from said arbor, a primary striking mechanism, a disk in said striking mechanism having a single notch formed therein, and a notched stop wheel, a shaft mounted in the upper portion of the clock mechanism, an arm having a downturned end for engagement in the notches of the stop wheel, a second arm on said shaft adapted to engage in the notch of'said disk, a third arm on said shaft, a second shaft mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the clock movement, an arm on the second shaft having its extremity lying in the path of the pin on the minute arbor, a lever mounted below the clock movement, and connections between said second shaft whereby upon movement of the lever in one direction second arm will be thrown out of the path of the minute hand arbor pin, said arm will engage and move the third arm to release the first mentioned arms from the notches of said wheel and disk.

3. In a clock striking mechanism, a clock movement including a striking mechanism, said striking mechanism including a governor shaft, a laterally projecting pin on said shaft, a shaft mounted in the upper portion of the frame of the clock mechanism, an arm on said shaft projecting toward said pin, a lever pivotally mounted below the clock movement, connections between said shaft and said lever whereby upon movement of the lever in one direction, said shaft will be rocked to throw said arm upward into the path of said pin to brake said striking mechanism.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELSON TOIVNS.

lVitnesses J. F. Mains, S. C. MIX.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. O. 

